On Monday, Hockey Canada named forward Alexis Lafreniere and defenceman Pierre-Olivier Joseph to the 2019 World Junior Hockey Championship selection camp roster. Both players were among the 34 invited to the camp in preparation for the upcoming national tournament taking place in Vancouver and Victoria.

Lafreniere, who is considered to be the frontrunner to be the first-overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft, is the lone 2001-born player on the list. The Rimouski Oceanic star has 46 points (16 goals, 30 assists) in 28 games this season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He would be the first 17-year-old since Connor McDavid to make the World Juniors team.

Joseph, the captain of the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders and the Arizona Coyotes’ 2017 1st round pick, has seven goals, 20 points and a +6 rating in 24 games this season. He is in his second season as the Islanders’ captain.

The first of three selection camp games versus the U Sports all-star team begins Dec. 12. The final roster is expected to be named on Dec. 14. Team Canada will play three preliminary games from Dec. 19-23, and then begin its gold-medal defence against Denmark on Dec. 26 in Vancouver.

Source: tsn.ca